Fact of the day

Information is the most powerful weapon.

Monday

Fact N°
1176

In 2007, the Los Angeles Dodgers set an attendance record that is unmatched in North American sports.

In July of 2007, the Dodgers set a cumulative attendance record of over 175 million since 1901, earning them a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. In that time, they have called four ballparks home: in New York City, Washington Park (#2) and Ebbets Field; in Los Angeles, L.A. Memorial Coliseum and Dodger Stadium.
In 1978, the Dodgers became the first Major League Baseball team whose attendance topped 3 million in a single season, and they went on to dominate the 1980s in that regard, reaching the 3 million mark seven times that decade.

Tuesday

Fact N°
1177

"The Michelin Man" has an actual name and an extensive history.

According to a recent profile in The History Channel Magazine, the Michelin man's real name is "Bibendum," taken from a line attributed to the Latin poet Horace: "Nunc est bibendum," or "Now is the time to drink."
Bibendum debuted in 1898 much like he is today -- made of tires -- and he was first featured toasting life with a beer and a cigar, but as time passed, he was gradually relieved of his party lifestyle. He has been drawn by so many different illustrators and involved in so many activities that Bibendum was not only ranked among the top ad icons of the 20th century, but he also recently inspired a 150-piece touring art exhibit.

Wednesday

Fact N°
1178

Twice in 10 years, hot dogs led the USDA to alter the definition of "meat."

That definition was expanded in 1994 to "include any 'meat' product that is produced by advanced meat/bone separation machinery," meaning any hand-deboned meat products.
The definition still included so-called "mechanically separated meat" (MSM), the residue left on bones after all the choice cuts are gone -- what you might find in a cheap hot dog. The USDA defines it as "a paste-like and batter-like meat product" blasted off bone with high-pressure machines.
In 2004, they declared MSM inedible for humans because in England it was found to have some decidedly un-choice cuts, like spinal cord, believed to be causing mad-cow disease.

Thursday

Fact N°
1180

Technically, "one horsepower" equals moving 33,000 pounds one foot over a period of one minute.

In other words, horsepower is measured in work done over a period of time. Despite the term's widespread use, particularly in the automotive industry, it is an extremely imprecise measurement and has varying values across different industries.
The term was created by none other than James Watt. In fact, one "mechanical" horsepower equals about 745.7 watts of electrical horsepower, which means instead of replacing a 60-watt lightbulb, you can say you need to replace your .0804 horsepower lightbulb.

Friday

Fact N°
1181

Women get a heroin-like rush from hearing themselves talk.

In The Female Mind, University of California researcher Dr. Luan Brizendine (a female psychiatrist) claims that women devote more brainpower toward the act of talking and alleges that hearing their own voices gives them a heroin-like buzz.
More troubling: according to her research, for every 52 times each day a man thinks about sex, a woman will think of it once. "Women have an eight-lane superhighway for processing emotion, while men have a small country road, but men have an international airport for dealing with thoughts about sex, where women have an airfield nearby that lands small and private planes."

Saturday

Fact N°
1182

Club NEVERDIE is the most expensive virtual object ever, costing U.S. $100,000.

Club NEVERDIE is a happenin' nightclub in the virtual reality game Entropia Universe. More than just a nightclub, it also features a shopping mall, apartment complexes, places to dock space ships, and a sports stadium.
Entropia Universe is an MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game that depends on a real money economy -- each Project Entropia Dollar (PED) has the real world equivalent of .10 cents U.S., meaning people buy and sell virtual objects for virtual money with a real exchange rate, all in a variant of the micropayment model of economics.

Sunday

Fact N°
1183

Scientists in Europe are searching for the "God Particle."

The Higgs boson ("God Particle") is a theoretical field that scientists believe instills fundamental particles with mass in the same way the electromagnetic field supports protons and electrons.
It's only a theory right now because its existence hasn't been proven. That's what the Large Hadron Collider being built in Europe is for. Protons will race towards each other along miles of underground "tunnels" at just under the speed of light. On collision, they should provide enough energy to produce the "God Particle" and prove its existence.